Ericsson’s latest Mobility Report says Western Europe will overtake the rest of the world in 5G subscriptions over the next six years. The Satellite & Space Connectivity angle in the same report is the forecast for satellite broadband subscriptions, which Ericsson says will rise sharply by 2031.
Western Europe’s 5G rebound
Western Europe’s 5G penetration stood at 54% in 2025, behind North America on 79% and North East Asia on 60%. Ericsson projects that figure will reach 95% by 2031, ahead of North America at 92% and the GCC countries and North East Asia at just below 90%.
The report also says global 5G subscriptions have passed 3 billion, and 5G networks now carry half of all mobile data traffic globally. Mobile network data traffic grew 22% between the first quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, driven mainly by increased video consumption.
Satellite broadband in the same forecast set
Ericsson’s forecast puts satellite broadband subscriptions at around 10 million at the end of 2025, rising to around 33 million by the end of 2031. That is a separate market trajectory inside the same Mobility Report, but it sits alongside the stronger 5G subscription outlook for Western Europe.
What network planners should take from the numbers
For operators and infrastructure teams, the report’s message is simple: Western Europe is not being written off, even if it starts from behind. Ericsson is projecting a sharp 5G penetration catch-up, while traffic growth keeps rising and 5G remains central to global mobile data loads.